McKenna Moe Thacker is a Seattle-based social media marketer working in the beauty industry. This site is dedicated to sharing her experiences and thoughts on fashion, dining, beauty, and more.

Excursions: Calligraphy Class at Fresh Tangerine

In today's digital age, I have a hard time remembering the last time I wrote something down on a piece of paper, much less something beautiful. So when I saw that local jewelry shop and creative studio, Fresh Tangerine, was offering Calligraphy classes, I jumped at the opportunity.

The class was taught by The Fancy Cat Studio (aka Crystal) on Tuesday, October 13th. Gillian and I grabbed a quick bite at a nearby bar before walking in to Fresh Tangerine's studio promptly at 6:30 pm. If you haven't had a chance to see the shop in person, definitely make a trip to see their beautiful jewelry and meet the wonderful people who work there.

All of the necessary materials (and then some!) were waiting for us before the class began. We were given: ink, two nibs, tracing paper, several font samples and a surprise goody bag! Some of my favorite goodies were the Cherry Bombe magazine, Herbivore coconut + sea salt spray and Handmade grapefruit + bergamot moisturizing lotion.

I'll be honest, calligraphy is a lot harder than I had expected! I quickly learned that I have a heavy hand, which resulted in a few holes in my tracing paper. Luckily, Crystal is a fantastic teacher and she showed me the correct way to guide the pen without destroying my nib and the paper.

The class covered upper and lower case letters, how to digitize your writing, and the potential to start a calligraphy business. Crystal started by doing free work for friends and family. Once she had nailed her calligraphy style and established clients, she created The Fancy Cat Studio. I'll need a lot more practice before I start thinking about that!

The class maxed out at 12 students, so there was plenty of time to ask questions and have Crystal demonstrate correct technique. Gillian and I met women from around the Seattle area who, despite having a wide range of careers, all came together to learn this written art.

My calligraphy skills are still developing and it could take up to a year for me to establish my own style, according to Crystal. But practice makes perfect and I'll take any excuse to sit down and spend some time feeling creative.

If you're interested in learning more about calligraphy, visit Crystal's site here and to add some some "wow" to your wardrobe visit Fresh Tangerine!